


She's Just A Kid

by Awesome_Sauce432



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Bullying, F/M, Growing Up, Her Father Just Wants Her To Be Happy, Jemma Is Too Precious For This World, The rest of the team also shows up eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-07-22 08:04:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7426771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awesome_Sauce432/pseuds/Awesome_Sauce432
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jemma Simmons was always quite the exceptional child. No one knew this more than her father, Julien. But Julien, unlike most, had watched his daughter grow up and change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst. But he was there for it all.</p>
<p>The story of twenty six conversations over twenty six years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**One**

 

The baby, all chubby legs and arms crawled across the floor with frightening speed, fingers reaching for everything she could see. She managed to grab hold of a stray puzzle piece, thankfully too big to fit in her mouth. She tried to fit it in anyway, as babies are prone to do.

"Come to Daddy, Jemma!" The baby's father, a short, dark brown-haired man knelt on the floor, the rest of the puzzle pieces and empty puzzle board lying next to him. The baby looked up at the sound of her name, eyes alert. Then she crawled over her to her father, half the puzzle piece still in her mouth.

"Ah, there we go. Puzzle pieces are not for eating." Her father said, taking the baby in his arms and gently tugging the puzzle piece out of her mouth. Jemma didn't protest, suddenly noticing the many other puzzle pieces lying next to her father. She reached for them, her arms nowhere near long enough.

"If only you liked solving puzzles as much as you like eating them." The man said, smiling fondly at his daughter. Jemma continued to strain to reach the puzzle pieces, babbling happily.

"There's plenty of time for that, Julien, she's just a baby!" A feminine voice called from somewhere else in the house.

"You can never start them too young!" The father called back, grinning.

"Besides, you certainly seemed eager to learn how to crawl." He said, looking down at his daughter again. "I won't be surprised if you're walking in just a few months." Jemma was blissfully unaware of her father's words, as she managed to wriggle out of his grasp, climbing over him to grab the puzzle pieces.

"Oh Jem." Her father said, though he allowed her to grab into the puzzle pieces. This time, she didn't try to put them in her mouth, instead banging them onto the empty puzzle board. Her father grinned again, shifting around so he was properly facing his daughter and the puzzle. For a moment he watched as Jemma banged the wooden pieces up and down, never coming close to fitting it into the right spot, but seemingly perfectly content to make as much noise as possible.

"You'll get there eventually Jem, but don't quit your day job just yet." Her father said, ruffling the small fuzz of hair that his daughter had.

 

* * *

 

**Two**

 

"Wan' drawing!" The little girl said, pulling on her father's pant legs.

"Alright Jem, up you go." Julien said, picking up the little girl and placing her down in a chair. After a few more seconds he had produced a few pieces of paper and a packet of stubby crayons.

Jemma quickly began to scribble, holding the crayons firmly in her hands. Her father went back to the work he was doing on his laptop, glancing over every now and then to his daughter. She was staring at the paper in concentration, the tip of her tongue poking out the side of her mouth and her head tilted to the side as the crayons ran across the page. Happy that she was occupied, he allowed himself to focus on his work.

It was another ten minutes before Julien glanced over again, suddenly realising the seat was empty. All the pieces of paper he had given his daughter were filled with scribbles. A few were recognisable as possibly being human beings or some sort of animal, but most were the incomprehensible mess he had expected from a nearly two-year-old. But that wasn't as concerning as the fact a good amount of crayons were missing along with his daughter. He remembered the last time Jemma had disappeared with crayons. They hadn't yet cleaned up the marks on her bedroom walls.

"Jemma?" He asked, hopeful that maybe she was just hiding under the table. But no Jemma appeared, and he stood up. His wife was at work, which meant it was just him and his wayward daughter.

"Jemma? Where are you?" He called, a little louder. There was a chance she wouldn't respond, but ever since she had learned how to speak she was doing it as much as she could.

"Da-?" A small voice, muffled through walls but unmistakably Jemma's. He followed the voice through the house, finally coming to a stop at his and his wife's bedroom. He had already resigned himself to having to scrub crayon off two different walls when he stepped inside, coming to an abrupt halt.

Jemma was sitting in front of a bookcase, with a huge amount of books pulled from the bottom shelves and scattered around her. The covers of nearly all the books had crayon scribbled on them, but somehow the thought of opening the books hadn't occurred to her. He was very thankful for that, far preferring defaced book covers than ripped pages and crayons all through the book. His daughter was in the middle of it all, crayons still in hand and looking up innocently at her father.

"Da!" She said, dropping the crayons and holding up her arms for a hug. He shook himself out of his stupor, walking over and picking up his daughter.

"You little rascal. You shouldn't come into Mummy and Daddy's room without permission, okay? And we don't write on books." He said, but it all seemed to go in one ear and out the other. He wasn't sure if Jemma was even paying attention, instead seeing how tight she could hug his neck before he suffocated.

The next day, he went out and bought some childproof locks just in case, and made sure that whenever Jemma was drawing with crayons, she was seated opposite him, where it was easier for him to see what she was doing.

 

* * *

 

**Three**

  
"She's very intelligent for her age, you know. I don't think I've ever seen a little girl learn to count so high, so quickly." Jemma's preschool teacher had casually mentioned one day as her father picked her up.

"Really?" Julien said, looking over to where his daughter was thoroughly occupied by finger painting.

"Oh yes. Do you do exercises of some kind at home with her? Some parents find them very helpful with their children's learning." The teacher continued.

"A few, yes. Mostly to do with words though, not so much numbers." Julien said, though he wasn't sure whether the 'exercises' he did were quite what the teacher was thinking of. He had a feeling she wouldn't consider teaching Jemma the names of all the elements of the periodic table appropriate for her age level. He was more amazed that she had already learnt up to Potassium.

"Well I think she could grow up to be quite gifted. Of course, it can be hard to tell at this age, she is still a child, but with a little guidance she could do very well in life." The teacher continued.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you." Julien said, walking past the teacher and to where Jemma was. Upon seeing her father, she ran up to him, only remembering at the last second that her fingers were covered in paint.

"Daddy look!" She said, waving him over to where she had been working.

"Wow Jemma, it's amazing. Do you want to bring that one home as well?" He asked, already trying to think of a space for the painting. Jemma thought for a moment, before shaking her head.

"Needs to dry." She said, running her hand across the paper and coming away with more paint on it.

"Of course. Miss Sullivan tells me you've been doing very well at counting." He said. Jemma lit up, jumping up and down on the spot.

"Yes, yes! I count alllll the way up to one hundred!" She said proudly. Julien dutifully looked amazed at her accomplishment, though he was also genuinely surprised.

"Thats a very high number." Jemma nodded, pleased that her talent had been recognised.

"I write my name too! Look!" Jemma pointed at the bottom left corner of her finger painting, where a slightly mangled version of her name was scrawled. It could have been easily mistaken for another part of the painting, but Julien could make out the individual letters easily enough.

"That's very good! Well, if you've finished your painting you can take your art smock off and we can go home." He said, smiling.

"Yay! Can we sing the per-peri... Um..." Jemma paused, trying to remember the word while pulling off her art smock.

"Periodic?" Julien suggested, and Jemma nodded.

"The peer-ee-odic table song, can we sing it in the car?" Jemma asked, looking up at her father.

"Sure we can Jem." Julien said, picking up his daughters little backpack and walking her towards the exit.

 

* * *

 

**Four**

 

"And then it says you have to turn the bunsen burner on, and put the evapor-evaporating dish on top of the tripod." Jemma's voice said from across the desk.

"Good job Jem, you're getting very good at your reading." Julien said, grinning at his daughter over his laptop. Jemma beamed, before turning over the paper she was holding to continue reading.

"Mr Jones gave me a reading award yesterday." Jemma said.

"Another one? That's great Jem. Soon you'll be moving on to grade two and three books." He said, looking back down at his work while he was talking.

"Mr Jones said that too. He said that I was very advanced." Jemma said, enunciating the word 'advanced' very carefully, and smiling when she got it right.

"I think Mr Jones is onto something." Julien muttered to himself. He had been growing quite aware of how quickly Jemma was learning. Her reading skills were far beyond what anyone could have expected at her age, and her numeracy skills were improving just as quickly.

"But I don't get it. Why can I read so good, but others can't. Like Nicola, she is very bad at reading." Jemma said, looking down at the papers confusedly.

"Well Jem, people learn at different speeds. You just learn a lot quicker than Nicola, it's nothing to worry about. Maybe Nicola doesn't like to read as much as you do, so she doesn't work as hard to get better." Julien said, tilting down the screen of his laptop slightly so he could see his daughter. She was looking up at him now, nodding slowly but clearly not quite understanding.

"Everyone's good at different things, Jem. You're good at learning, and reading and maths. Can you think of something that Nicola is good at?" He said. Jemma scrunched up her face, thinking hard.

"Well... She is a fast runner." She finally said.

"See? Nicola likes to run, and you like to read. It's fine to be good at some things and bad at others. As long as you're nice to everyone about it, and you aren't bragging about how good you are at reading." Julien said, hoping his intended moral was sinking in. With young children, it was sometimes hard to tell. Jemma looked up at him, eyes wide, but she didn't say anything for a while.

"Okaaayyy... So that means it's okay that I'm not a fast runner like Nicola?" She said. Julien smiled, leaning over the table to ruffle her hair.

"That's perfectly fine Jem. I was never a good runner in school either. Though I wasn't very good at reading either." He said, laughing.

"So what were you good at?" Jemma asked.

"Oh, when I was younger, not much at all. Wasn't til about grade eight I really got good at anything. You don't have anything to worry about anyway my dear, you're still just a little girl. Plenty to time to get good at things." He said, smiling. Jemma looked back down at the papers, face relaxing.

"Okay Daddy."

 

* * *

 

**Five**

 

"Mr Simmons, if I could have a word with you." Jemma's teacher said one day while he was picking up Jemma from school. Julien looked over, seeing Jemma happily playing house with a few other students.

"Of course. What is it?" Julien said, walking over to the teacher. "Did Jemma get into trouble?"

"Oh no, she's perfectly well-behaved." The teacher quickly said, waving his hands. "It's just, she's advancing far quicker than all of her peers, and I'm beginning to run out of things to keep her busy." Julien's eyes widened a little in surprise. He knew Jemma was intelligent, he'd have to be an idiot to miss it, but this was new.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"She completes everything remarkably quickly. She told me you and your wife have helped her with her reading and maths, is that correct?" The teacher continued. Julien nodded.

"Well whatever you're doing is working. The exercises the other students get simply aren't enough. I've even started borrowing some from the older grades for her, but she completes them just as quickly, and correctly most of the time." The teacher glanced over to where Jemma was playing. Julien felt a small surge of pride for his daughter, and relished a little for himself. He knew his daughter was intelligent and had tried his best to nurture that. Apparently, he had succeeded, far beyond what he had hoped.

"So is there a problem? Does it affect her behaviour in the classroom?" Julien asked, wondering if perhaps that was the issue. But the teacher shook his head.

"Oh no, she never complains about the work she's given, and she's very polite to all the other students. But I can tell that she's bored by what everyone else is learning, because she's already learnt it. And I can only give her so much special attention, with the rest of the class and all." The teacher said.

"I see. Are you suggesting that perhaps we look into moving her up a grade?" Julien asked, getting the sense that this was where the conversation was heading.

"Yes. I don't think there's really anything more I can teach her at this level. It would have to go through the school board, of course, but I think they'll agree." The teacher said, nodding. Julien began to smile unconsciously. His daughter, skipping a grade? Any parent would be thrilled by it, really. He was sure Jemma would love it as well, she liked to be challenged. And from what he had heard, her current grade was not providing that challenge.

"Alright then. Thank you for the suggestion." He said, nodding his head to the teacher and going over to collect Jemma.

"What were you talking about with Mrs Cooper?" Jemma asked later on, skipping alongside him.

"What do you mean?" Julien asked, wondering when she had noticed them talking. Sometimes, he thought, children are far more observant than we give them credit for.

"I saw you talking with her. While I was playing." Jemma said, before looking up at him nervously. "Am I in trouble?"

"Oh no, Mrs Cooper said you're a wonderful student." Julien said.

"Oh. So what were you talking about?"

"We were talking about how you do all your work very quickly." Julien said, looking to gauge his daughters reaction before talking to her about moving up a grade. Jemma almost seemed disappointed at this being the actual reason for her teacher and father talking together.

"Am I not supposed to do it as quickly as I can?" She asked.

"Oh yes you are. But you're doing it so quickly Mrs Cooper is running out of exercises to give you." Julien said, chuckling to himself.

"But what happens if she runs out?"

"That's what we were discussing. Mrs Cooper thinks you might be able to move up a grade, with some harder work." He said, looking down at his daughter.

"You can do that?" Jemma asked. Apparently, the notion of staying anywhere but in your own age group had never occurred to her. Julien laughed despite himself. No matter how smart his daughter was, she was still just a kid.

"Yes, you can, if you're clever enough, and Mrs Cooper thinks you're clever enough." He said. Jemma was quiet for a moment, thinking this over.

"Oh. So that's good, right?" She asked finally, looking up at him.

"That's very good Jem."

 

* * *

 

**Six**

  
The first week after Jemma started her next school year, this time the grade above what most children her age were, Julien was biting his nails waiting to see what happened. He had no doubt that Jemma would be able to handle the mental side of it, she had been completing the harder schoolwork before the move, and completely it very well. He was more concerned about the social side of school life. In her previous class, Jemma had had quite a few friends, and it remained to see whether those friends would stay her friends now that Jemma was no longer in their class.

But his worries seemed to be all for naught. Jemma was happier than ever, gladly reporting that her friends were just as interested in what school life was like for 'the big kids' as she had been. No one in Jemma's new class seemed to pay much attention to her at all, and Jemma said they often left her alone, which she didn't mind because she always had her friends in her previous grade.

"They always ask lots of questions about the work and stuff, like if it's hard. And I said no, because it's not hard really, but it is a bit harder than grade two work." Jemma said after about two weeks of her new class, after finishing the small amount of homework she had been given.

"I see. What about your new classmates? I know you said they leave you alone most of the time, but are they nice?" Julien asked.

"Yeah, they're nice. A few of them said I was too little for grade three, and that I'm just a kid, but then they stopped saying that when I beat them in the one minute spelling tests." Jemma said, her voice taking on a prideful tone.

"Interesting. I suggest you stay away from the people that say you're too little, try and find some nice people in your class. I know you have your other friends, but it's good to have a friend in your own class." Julien said, peering at his daughter. Jemma suddenly seemed reluctant, her bottom lip sticking out slightly in thought.

"But I like my friends already. And the other third graders are all older." She said. Julien smiled, remembering when an age gap of just a year felt like an insurmountable barrier to friendships.

"Don't worry about how old they are, just worry about how nice they are."

"Okay... I'll try." Jemma said, though she didn't look convinced.

 

* * *

 

**Seven**

 

"How was your day Jem?" Julien asked in the car one day.

"It was okay." Jemma said, staring out the window, her voice quiet and detached. Now, a quiet Jemma was nothing unusual. A distracted Jemma wasn't unusual either. But something in her tone tipped him off. Call it a father's instinct, or maybe just paranoia. But he could tell something was wrong.

"Anything exciting happen?" He pressed on, hoping that maybe she would confess on her own. He didn't want to get all worried, just in case it turned out to be nothing.

"Not really." Jemma said after a moments hesitation, still staring out the window. Now Julien was convinced something had happened.

"What about your friends, are they doing well?" He continued, sounding as happy and calm as he could. Jemma could be private about her feelings in the best of times, but she wasn't always the best at hiding them. But he preferred to allow her to come to him with her problems, rather than he confront her about them.

"Yeah..." Julien knew he wasn't getting anywhere. It was time to be direct.

"Did something happen at school today?" He asked, dropping the faux-happiness. Jemma turned away from the window, and he looked at her through the rear-view mirror.

"Mmmm... No..." Jemma said, wringing her fingers together.

"Come on Jem, I know you. You can tell me, you won't get in trouble." Julien said.

"I didn't do anything wrong." Jemma said, though she sounded like she was also trying to reassure herself as well as him.

"Okay, so what happened?" He continued, his mind running through the possibilities. A bad grade, an accident, his mind jumped to some of the worst conclusions before he could stop himself and focus on what his daughter was saying,

"I-it's just... Some of the kids in class were mean, that's all." Jemma said, colour rising in her cheeks. Oh, Julien thought.

"Mean how? Did they say bad things about you?" He asked. Jemma was quiet for a moment, looking away and back out the window.

"Jemma? Did they hurt you?" He kept his voice as even and collected as he could, even though he could feel a surge of anger at these faceless kids, for whatever they had done. But he wanted the full story first.

"No, they were just mean. It was stupid, it wasn't even true." Jemma said, her cheeks blushing. Julien had a feeling she wasn't telling him everything, but decided to let her tell him what she wanted to tell him, at least for now.

"What did they call you?" He asked.

"A brat, a teachers pet, a stupid kid, and stuff. It wasn't even that bad, I know they're just being stupid." Jemma said, speaking a little too fast to be calm.

"It doesn't matter if it's stupid or not, it's still mean and they shouldn't do it. Did you tell a teacher?" He asked. Jemma scrunched up her nose.

"That wouldn't do anything. Even if they got into trouble they'd just do worse stuff the next time they saw me." She said, frowning.

"I don't want you to just take it Jem, you deserve better than that." Julien said, mind racing to think of solutions. He was still certain there was more to the situation than Jemma was letting on, but she seemed determined to remain tight-lipped about it. He didn't want to push her.

"It really doesn't matter Daddy, they're just dumb kids. I can avoid them." Jemma said, shrugging before looking out the window again. Julien sighed quietly. He wanted to help his daughter, but he couldn't do that if she wouldn't tell him what was going on. If she said she could handle it, he had to trust her that it was true.

 

* * *

 

**Eight**

 

For months, life seemed to go on. Jemma was happy, her grades were as high as ever, and there was talk of her skipping yet another grade or two. When she started grade five, nothing seemed amiss. On the surface, Jemma was an intelligent, capable, happy little girl. But Julien knew his daughter. He knew something was wrong. She began to withdraw, stopped getting invitations to her friends birthday parties, or to sleepovers. She would disappear into her room after school, under the excuse that fifth graders got lots of homework, sometimes she forgot to come out for dinner, and had to be reminded. Worst of all was that she refused to talk about any of it. Would change the subject, or awkwardly find an excuse to exit the conversation.

He knew it needed to stop. There was no way she could continue like this, bottling all her emotions and only letting herself see them.

So he stood in front of her bedroom door, sighing before he knocked three times.

"Yes?" Jemma's voice was bright and all-too-chipper, as if she was putting extra effort into trying to sound happy. But underneath it all, there was a note of exhaustion.

"Jem? How are you doing?" He asked as he opened the door, stepping inside.

"I'm okay. Just double checking my homework." Jemma was sitting at her desk, books open. But her pencil case was closed and the textbooks she had opened were on completely different topics to each other. He doubted she had really been doing homework. He wasn't going to humour her any longer.

"Jem." He began, keeping his voice even. Jemma seemed to sense his tone, wincing. He wasn't going to believe her lies any longer. "Somethings wrong." He said, sitting down on her bed.

"No, there isn't. Did I do something wrong? I've been handing in all my homework, and it's all been really good." Jemma said, talking fast but refusing to look him in the eye.

"Jemma, you need to stop. I'm not talking about your homework." Julien said. Jemma seemed to shrink back in her chair, looking so much younger than her eight years, and she already looked young for her age. She was silent, waiting for her to continue and still looking away from him.

"Somethings going on at school. Your teachers say you've withdrawn, you've stopped talking to other students. You don't participate in class as much. You barely talk about your friends anymore, and you are spending more and more time in your room. I know fifth graders have homework but they don't have that much. The only thing that hasn't changed are your grades." Julien said, laying down all the facts. Jemma remained silent throughout it all, staring at a particular spot on her desk.

"And worst of all, you're not talking about it. To anybody. That smile of yours may fool most people but it isn't fooling me, or your mother. We're worried about you Jem, but we can't help you unless you talk to us." He said, giving her a chance to speak.

"I-I'm fine, Dad. It's just-just..." Jemma began, but whatever excuse she might have had died the instant she looked over at him. Her eyes were beginning to water, and her resolve faltered.

"I just... I just don't belong, Dad. Not in fifth grade, or fourth grade, or any grade." Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been pulled. Jemma began to talk, fast and loud, so quickly the words barely seemed to have time to go through her brain before they left her mouth.

"I don't fit in anywhere, and everyone knows it. No one talks to me unless they have to, or if they're going to tease me, and shove me, and hurt me, and I can't do anything to stop it because I'm too little, and weak, and stupid and-and" Her voice hitched, tears beginning to spill over from her eyes.

Julien wasted no time in standing up, picking up his daughter and enveloping her in a hug. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, wrapping her arms around him. His poor Jemma. His poor, beautiful daughter. He should have intervened earlier, before it got to this point. Why she he let it go this far? He had seen that something was wrong, yet he did nothing. He should have-

No. He stopped himself before the guilt could envelop him any more. He couldn't focus on himself. What was done was done. Now what he had to do was try to fix his mistakes by helping his daughter. He sat back down on her bed again, with Jemma sobbing into his arms. He ran a hand up and down her back, whispering reassurances into her ear.

For who knew how long, he sat, allowing her to cry her eyes out. Release all the tears, and anguish, and hurt that she had buried deep inside of her. Eventually they sat silently, and Julien began to wonder if she had fallen asleep in his arms.

"Daddy?" Jemma's voice was soft and quiet, still wavering with unshed tears.

"Yes sweetie?" Julien said, running a hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry." Julien didn't say anything for a moment. She was sorry? She had nothing to be sorry for. The idea that his daughter could somehow still be feeling guilt, for a situation in which she was the victim, astounded him. She was just a child, not even nine years old. She shouldn't be dealing with this.

"I'm sorry too."


	2. Chapter 2

**Nine**

"You sure you're okay?" Julien asked. Jemma nodded, clutching the handle of her suitcase tight. They stood at the front of the school, with two large buses waiting patiently. Other students and parents milled around, while teachers called out names and spoke with the bus drivers.

"It's just three nights, and the teachers will all be there, and eighth graders just leave me alone completely... I'm okay." She said, an uneasy smile on her face.

Jemma's grades had improved so much, she skipped another two grades. Everyone was impressed, calling her a prodigy. Jemma was just happy that it got her away from the bullies. In her words, 'sixth graders don't mess with eighth graders'. She had an aura of invincibility now, almost like she was untouchable. Being in a completely different part of the school also helped. The only problem was she still hadn't made any friends, but Julien knew it was better than bullies.

"I know you'll be okay. I'm just worried about my little girl going away for so long." Julien said, kneeling down so he could be on her level. Jemma smiled.

"Daddy, I'm not that little any more. Besides, you're the one who said going on the trip would be a good idea." She said.

"I know, but now I'm not so sure. You don't really need to learn about science." He said, grinning. Jemma seemed to take him seriously for a second, her mouth dropping open. But when she saw him begin to laugh, she snapped her mouth shut, frowning and punching him on the shoulder.

"Daddy! How could you say that!?" She said, crossing her arms. Julien continued to laugh.

"Alright everyone, come get your luggage onto the bus!" A teacher called out. Jemma looked over for a moment, before turning back to her father. A hint of nervousness shone on her face. Julien softened.

"Hey Jem, you'll be fine. You're going to have lots of fun. You might even make friends with your roommates. You'll be sleeping in cabins, right?" He said, smiling softly.

"Yeah... But I don't know my roommates really well. I don't know anyone really well." Jemma admitted, her shoulders sagging.

"Well that's their loss, isn't it. Just focus on having a good time, alright?" He said, before pulling his daughter into a hug. Jemma held on tight, and when they let go, looked up at him, smiling nervously.

"Now, go put your luggage on the bus. I'll be able to call you every night, and the teachers will take care of you." He said, standing up and beginning to walk over to the bus.

"Okay Daddy." Jemma said, slowly beginning to look more confident.

"And if you feel super homesick, I'll drive right down and come get you." He added. Jemma looked up at him, shocked.

"You can't do that! Everyone will think I'm a baby!" She said, looking absolutely appalled. Julien laughed.

"Okay, okay. But I don't want you to be doing something you don't want to. I'm here to help you." He said. Jemma nodded.

"I know Daddy."

 

* * *

 

**Ten**

 

"Daddy! Daddy, look!" Jemma ran through the house, screaming at the top of her lungs. Julien looked up from his laptop, wondering what on earth had his daughter so excited.

"Look!" Jemma continued to shout, without actually telling him what he was looking at. She finally arrived at the table, a box held tightly in her hands.

"It's from competition I entered! For the scientific paper! Remember, the one I did on the link between the two different-"

"Oh yes, that one, I remember." Julien quickly said, before Jemma could launch into another explanation of exactly what she had written on the paper. The first few times, it was okay, but even he only had so much patience. Luckily, Jemma barely noticed.

"Can we open it Daddy? Can we?!" Jemma asked, pushing the box towards him.

"Hmmm... I don't think so, we better wait." Julien said, smiling.

"Daddy!" Jemma wailed.

"Okay, just kidding. I'll go get some scissors, we'll open it right now." He said. Jemma cheered as he went to find some scissors. Once he came back and opened the box, Jemma took it back, tearing away the rubbish and pulling out the contents. The first thing to come out were a few pieces of documents about the shipping of the box. Jemma took a quick glance at those before throwing them to the side.

"Wow! Look Daddy, a trophy!" Jemma said pulling out a small, golden trophy. It was a proper one too, made of metal. There a small nameplate, with Jemma's name engraved on it.

"You won a trophy? They must have really liked your paper." Julien said, beaming. Jemma was absolutely ecstatic, quickly looking back in the box to see if there was anything more.

"There's a certificate too! Awarded to Jemma Simmons... For an excellent scientific contribution. It's signed by the Prime Minister!" Jemma said, gaping, before looking through a few more papers she had pulled out.

"Here's a letter. Dear Miss Simmons, in recognition of your extraordinary achievement, you have been offered a place in our Gifted Young Scientists program. Details have been included in this information pack. We hope to hear your response soon." Jemma said, eyes wide. Julien was just as shocked.

"A special program? Look, Dad!" Jemma said, shoving the paper in his face.

"Wow Jem, that's... Incredible." He could hardly believe it, taking the paper from his daughter and beginning to read it.

"Look, this says it helps prepare the next generations best and brightest, for a career in science. Can I go Dad? Please?!" Jemma said, looking up at him. Julien paused for a moment, trying to think. No good in rushing into decisions. But from all he had seen so far, it seemed like a wonderful opportunity, and Jemma certainly wanted it to happen.

"Well, let's see. It would definitely be a lot harder than the work you do now." He said.

"I know, but the work I do now is really easy anyway." Jemma said, rolling her eyes.

"Hmmm... You wouldn't know anyone there. None of your old friends, from before you skipped grades." He continued.

"Yeah... But I haven't really talked to them much recently. It's not like not knowing anyone would be much of a difference." She said, her voice a little quieter than before. She frowned, before looking back up at him.

"I want to do it Daddy. It would be good for me. I get to learn all about science, and I'll be with other people who are like me. They won't see me as just a little kid. I can do it, I know I can!" She said, pleading. Julien didn't say anything, looking at his daughter.

It would be a big step. Though, granted, Jemma had taken a lot of big steps far earlier than anyone had expected. She could get away from the bullies for good, and maybe she would find a friend, one who understood her. Someone who was around her age, hopefully. Jemma looked up at him, eyes wide and pleading, hands clasped together like she was saying a prayer.

"Please Daddy?" She said.

"Well... We'd have to take to your mother, but I think we can let you go." He finally said, smiling softly. Jemma blinked once, before launching into a cheer so loud Julien was sure the neighbours would call to complain. In a moment, she had dashed around the table to his side, hugging him as hard as she could.

"Oh thank you Daddy! I love you so much! You're the best!' She said. Julien laughed, trying to remember the last time she'd been that enthusiastic about anything.

Actually, now that he thought about it, he couldn't really. There were many things she was passionate about, science being the main thing. He'd listened to plenty of long, detailed talks about the structure of an atom, or how osmosis worked. But he couldn't think of the last time Jemma had been so... Happy. Just pure, genuine happiness. Now that he was seeing it, he knew this was the right decision.

 

* * *

 

**Eleven**

  
When Julien knocked on the door of the house, he wasn't quite sure of what to expect. It had been a long time since he had had to pick up his daughter from another child's birthday party. But he was excited for her. The decision to let her join the Gifted Young Scientists program had definitely been the right decision. Jemma was happier than ever, and had even made a few friends. She hadn't stopped talking about this party ever since she had come home with the invitation.

The door opened, revealing the mother of the birthday girl. Susan, he was pretty sure her name was.

"Oh hello! You're Jemma's father, right?" Susan said, standing back so he could walk in.

"Yes, am I too early?" He asked. He could hear the sounds of kids laughing and playing throughout the house and in the backyard. No matter how smart they were, they were still kids.

"Oh no, you're right on time. Everyone is just chatting in the kitchen. Would you like a tea, or a coffee?"

"A tea would be wonderful, thank you. Was Jemma well behaved?" Julien said, respectfully admiring the house without looking like he was being nosy.

"She was wonderful, very polite. Very shy at first though, but now she's running around with everyone else." Susan said, smiling. They reached the kitchen, where there was another group of mothers and fathers, standing or sitting and talking. Every now and then a child would run in, grabbing a piece of food or a drink, before running back out.

"That's good. I was hoping she'd be okay, it's been a very long time since she's been at a birthday party." Julien admitted. Susan looked at him, eyes wide.

"Really? That's surprising, she's very sweet." She said, walking over to the kettle.

"Dad!" Jemma suddenly ran into the room, face red with exertion and glitter stuck in her hair. There was a blue princess crown on her head, a few dozen bangles on her wrist, and she was wearing an oversized lab coat. How she managed to run in it was beyond him.

"Hey Jem! Have you been having fun?" He asked, grinning at how happy she looked.

"Yeah! We got to play dress up, and I'm a princess scientist! See, I've got a lab coat and a crown and everything!" Jemma said.

"Wow, that's very cool. Did Charlotte like the present you gave her?" Julien said. He hoped she did, Jemma had spent a good three days researching the perfect gift. Jemma nodded, beaming.

"Don't tell any of the others, but she said it's one of the best things she's ever gotten!" Jemma said, loud enough that some of the other parents could hear. They began to chuckle, probably having been told the same thing by their own children. Charlotte was well known to be very excitable.

"That's great. Do you want to stay a little longer?"

"We're going to drop some sodium and potassium into water and watch it explode! Oh, but we'll be careful." Jemma said, hurriedly adding the last bit on.

"Sodium and potassium?"

"Yeah! They explode in water! Stephen has some, and we did a little of it in class, so we know what to do. We just have bigger pieces now. Bye!" Jemma called, running off before Julien could voice any objections, if he had any.

"Is that safe?" One of the mothers asked, watching Jemma go nervously.

"I've had worse done in my kitchen." One father commented, laughing.

"As long as they follow proper safety procedures. They're sensible kids, I'm sure they'll be fine, but I'll go watch, just in case. Here's your tea." Susan said, handing Julien a mug of tea before going outside. He called a thanks after her, before turning back to the other parents.

He was mildly concerned about his daughter and a dozen other children dropping chunks of potassium into water, but he trusted that Jemma knew what she was doing.

"So, you're Jemma's father?" One mother said, looking at Julien over the rim of her glasses.

"Yes. I'm Julien, it's a pleasure to properly meet you all." He said. He rarely had time to mingle when he picked Jemma up from the program, but he was vaguely familiar with most of them. It was almost like a small community.

"Oh nonsense, the pleasure is all mine. Your daughters an absolutely gem, she's so sweet. No pun intended." The woman said, chuckling.

"It's not a problem. I admit I was a little worried, it's been a while since she's been to a birthday party." Julien said.

"Well she fits right in, though she is so young. I think my Kayla is a bit upset now that isn't the youngest anymore. She's thirteen next July." Another mother said.

"Oh, age hardly matters. All that matters is that each child is dedicated to science!" One father said, laughing.

"Yes, well age has always been a bit of a problem for Jemma in the past." Julien said, a bit louder than he had intended. A few of the parents noticed, looking at him curiously. Others nodded in understanding.

"Skipped a few grades, I bet. She's too intelligent for her to have not somewhere down the line. Let me guess, she never quite fit in, with her grade or with her age group?" Another mother, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, spoke. Julien looked at her. She was tall, with a knowing look in her eyes and a relaxed face.

"Yes. How did you know?" He asked.

"Experience. My son went through the same. Skipped two grades, none of the students knew what to do with him. Hardly had any friends until we started with the program. Changed his life." The mother said, smiling softly.

"It's changed Jemma's too. This is the happiest she's been in a long time." Julien said, looking out towards the backyard. There was a muffled explosion, soon followed by the 'ooh's and 'aah's of watching children.

"Because she's finally understood. Age isn't a factor, the program takes in everyone from seventeen down to eleven, like your daughter. Intelligence is a requirement, I'm sure all of you would admit that your child was top of his or her class before now. I'd bet just about every kid out there has had experience with feeling alone and rejected." The mother said. There was nods of agreement around the room.

"But now, there's someone to talk to. Who's been through the same, knows how they feel. Those kids will help each other out far more than we ever could." The mother finished.

"Children can be quite incredible sometimes." A father said, his voice solemn.

"Trust me, that I know." Julien said quietly.

****

* * *

 

**Twelve**

 

Julien knocked lightly on Jemma's door, a plate of sandwiches in his hand.

"Jem?"

"Yeah?" Jemma's voice was distracted, and he opened the door.

She was sitting at her desk, laptop open and dozens of leaflets and booklets spread out. There was a few piles of paper on the ground, one larger than the others.

"You hungry?" Julien asked, setting the plate down next to her.

"Huh? Lunch time already? Thanks Dad." Jemma said absentmindedly, still staring at her laptop. Julien looked down at some of the papers. University information. Of course, she'd been researching those for a month.

"You made any progress choosing a Uni?" He asked.

"Yeah... I made a pile of ones I definitely won't be going to." Jemma said, pointing to the larger pile of papers on the floor.

"I see. That's good. I'm sure you'll find the best one. But you don't have to decide just yet, you can always take a gap year. We could go on a trip, your mother could take out some vacation time." Julien said.

"I know, I know. But I don't know if I want a gap year. And I'd just feel better if I had a university picked out." She said.

"With a few dozen backups?" Julien said, smiling. Jemma looked up at him, grinning sheepishly.

"Yeah..." She said, her voice trailing off.

"Hey, Jem, something wrong?" He asked, sitting down her bed. Jemma looked up at him, biting her lip before swivelling her chair to face him properly.

"N-no... Not really. I'm just a bit worried. What if none of the universities want to take me? Or I didn't get the results I needed from the program? I mean, I'm not even a proper teenager yet. What if I'm too young to get into anywhere?" Jemma said, the words spilling out of her once she started.

"They'd be crazy if they didn't take you. And your grades have been practically perfect in the program, you definitely have nothing to worry about there." Julien said, putting a hand on his daughters shoulder. Jemma sighed, looking down at the piles of university pamphlets. He had a feeling there was more to Jemma's worries than she was letting on.

"What about all the other people there? They'll be adults, and I'll just be a kid to them. They'll never take me seriously." Something clicked in his head. She wasn't so worried about whether she'd get into university. He'd be more surprised if she didn't. She was worried about the people. That it would be the same as it had been before she got into the program. Ignored and rejected and alone. Perhaps respected for her intelligence, but not enough for anyone to try to be her friend. 

His heart ached. She had grown up so much, and so quickly. Most twelve year olds hadn't even started to think about university. But Jemma had never been like most people.

"Hey, Jem? Look at me." Julien said, keeping his voice calm and even. Jemma looked up, frowning.

"I'm not going to lie to you. Some people probably will be like before you got into the program. You probably will be far younger than everyone else there. It will be daunting. University is a big step from normal school, or even from the program." Jemma hung on to his every word, her eyes shining.

"But I know you can make it. Look at everything you've accomplished so far. Most people don't do this much by the time they're thirty. And like you said, you're not even a teenager yet. You've got a lot more fire left in you." He said, smiling. One corner of Jemma's mouth quirked upwards, and she looked away for a moment, glancing at the shelf full of all of her trophies and academic achievements. In the place of honour was the golden trophy she had been awarded for her scientific paper, the one that got her into the program.

"No matter what university you choose, there will probably be people who will ignore you. But they don't matter, because in the grand scheme of things, you probably won't meet those people again. I don't want you to let those people get in your way. You have the potential to achieve great things in your life. Amazing things even." Julien said, locking eyes with Jemma again. She frowned, before speaking.

"But how am I going to do that if people won't take me seriously?"

"Because not everyone is going to ignore you. The people in charge of the Gifted Young Scientists program didn't ignore you. The people who gave you all those awards didn't ignore you. It's hard to ignore greatness Jem, especially when it's in such a small and adorable package." He said, grinning. Jemma smiled, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.

"And the people who ignore you because you're just a kid really need to take a step back and reevaluate themselves. Because any kid who manages to get into university before they've hit their thirteenth birthday is clearly something special." He said, cupping Jemma's cheek in his hand. She was still smiling, before getting up out of her chair and giving him a hug.

"Thanks Dad." She whispered into his ear, settling next to him on her bed.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Thirteen**

 

"Dad! Mum!" Jemma shouted, running down the stairs.

Ever since she had started at university, at Cambridge, she had been staying with her aunt, who lived closer to the university. As a result, with both Julien and his mother being busier with work than ever, there had been very little opportunity to visit. They spoke over the phone nearly every night, but it had been a long time since he had been able to see her in person. At least, until today.

"Oh Jemma, look at our little university student!" Her mother said, hugging and kissing her daughter once she got to the bottom of the steps.

"Mm-mum, too many kisses!" Jemma said, laughing.

"You know I've just missed you. Where's Paula?"

"She's in the kitchen, making tea." Jemma said, pointing in the direction of the kitchen. Her mother nodded, kissing Jemma one more time before going to the kitchen to catch up with her sister.

"So Jem, how has university been?" Julien said, hugging his daughter.

"It's good, but I already told you that over the phone." Jemma said, grinning,

"It's just better hearing it in person. How are your classmates? None of them giving you a hard time?" He said, his voice momentarily becoming solemn. Jemma shook her head, but she was still smiling, telling him that she wasn't lying.

"No, they mostly leave me alone. But I don't mind, everyone from the program is emailing each other, so we're keeping in touch. Did you know Stephen got into Oxford?" Jemma said.

"That's great, but it would be nicer if you had some friends at Cambridge." Julien said. Jemma scrunched up her nose, looking away for a moment.

"Yeah, but they're all so much older. Most of them are nice, which is good, but I just don't really fit in with them. It's like they don't know what to do with me." She said, sighing. Julien frowned a little. She'd said as much over the phone. He was glad that she was doing well, and that no one was giving her a hard time like she'd feared, but he wanted her to be as happy as possible. Still, he wasn't going to push it. If Jemma didn't want to become friends with the other university students, she didn't have to.

"At least none of them bother me about only being thirteen. They did at first, but now they've all just gotten used to me. It's actually kind of nice, everyone is so focused on their own studies they don't have lots of time to worry about other people." Jemma continued, smiling wistfully.

"Well, if you're happy, I'm happy. Why don't you tell me about what you're studying?" Julien said, walking into the living room of the house. Jemma followed, and they both sat down on a couch.

"We've been doing lots of biology, obviously. Recently we were learning more about cells, we even did a bit on stem cell research. It's really interesting, and the professor even said I might be able to start doing some of the work most students only do in their second year of study." Jemma said, beaming proudly.

"Really? Jem, if you keep going through work so quickly soon the world will run out of things for you to do. You are allowed to just take your time with things, you know." Julien said, raising an eyebrow. He was used to Jemma moving through things faster than most, but sometimes he wondered if it was really a good thing. Was she missing out on a proper childhood?

"But Dad, I want to. If I know all the work I'm doing already, why shouldn't I move on? Otherwise I would just get bored." Jemma said, looking at him confusedly. He sighed, trying to think of the best way to phrase what he wanted to say.

"I know, but I just don't want you to rush through things too quickly. It's okay to take it easy." He said. He knew immediately that Jemma was just as confused as before.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to finish things as fast as you can. University's not a race, it's a bit different to school, or even the program." Julien said, scratching the back of his neck.

"But Dad, I'm not trying to learn so fast, I just do. It's how I've always been. Do you want me to slow down?" Jemma was frowning now, looking down at the ground.

"No-I..." Julien paused, sighing. "Don't worry about it, Jem. Your old fathers just worried his only child is going to race through life so fast I'll barely be able to keep up." He said, putting on a smile. Jemma raised an eyebrow at him, before speaking.

"Okay..." She said, dragging out the word. "But you're not old at all!"

"Thanks for the confidence booster." Julien said, grinning. Jemma smiled as well, before launching back into the discussion of what she had been learning.

 

* * *

 

**Fourteen**

"Hey Dad, how are you doing?" Jemma's voice came through the phone crisp and clear, thank goodness.

"Well, how about you? Are you in the library again?" Julien asked, sitting down on the couch.

"Yeah, just doing some more studying..." Jemma's voice trailed off.

"I see... With someone else, or alone?" Julien asked. There was pause before Jemma answered, a little nervously.

"Uh, alone. Again." She said. Julien sighed to himself, but he must not have done it quietly enough, as Jemma quickly launched into an explanation that sounded remarkably like an excuse.

"But-I really don't mind, not at all. I actually like working alone, I can take things at my own pace, and I don't have to worry about other people..." Her voice trailed off again.

"Jem..." He began, but his thoughts died before they got to his throat. If only the gifted young scientists program had continued into university work, he thought. Then Jemma would be among friends, and he wouldn't be worrying about his daughter being isolated. Again. There was a pregnant pause in the conversation, with both father and daughter seemingly unwilling to make the next move.

Julien heard Jemma take a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the phone.

"Dad, what would you say if I told you I'm thinking about doing another degree?"

Julien didn't speak at first. Of everything he'd thought she might have said, that was definitely not it. His mind seemed to run away from him thanks to the suddenness of her words, and for a few moments he opened and closed his mouth dumbly with no words coming out. But after the awkwardness of their previous conversation topic, Jemma seemed to take his silence as a bad omen.

"Dad?" Her voice seemed to go higher, as if she were afraid.

"Sorry, Jem, you just surprised me. Why do you want to do another degree?" He said, sounding as reassuring as he could. He would have thought that she'd want to finish university as soon as possible - based on how quickly she'd been going through this degree - not sign up for another few years.

"Well, I'm nearly finished this one. The professor thinks I'll be able to get a PhD by the end of the year, but I'm still really interested in chemistry, and I haven't learnt as much about it as I have biology... So I thought, why not?" Jemma said, her voice uncertain. He thought about it for a moment. He couldn't really think of a reason why she couldn't do another degree if she really wanted to.

"What about your aunt? Would she be okay if you were to continue staying at her house?" He asked.

"I already kinda talked to Aunt Paula about it, she said she doesn't mind having me around. Though she also said that I spend more time at the university than I do at her house, so it isn't much of a difference for her. But I want to do it. My grades are practically perfect, and I'm willing to put in the extra effort. I've already looked up what the coursework would be, and I know I can do it." Jemma said, and Julien smiled despite himself. She really had thought about it. That was his Jemma, thoroughly researching something to craft the perfect argument.

"I see... Well in that case, you'd better work extra hard on your current degree, and get it finished up before the end of this year." He said.

"Really? You're okay with me doing another degree?!" Jemma said, her voice suddenly becoming loud and excited, crackling a little over the phone line.

"If you really want to, and you think you can handle it. After all, like you said, you've been doing well with your first one." Julien said, smiling at his daughters happiness.

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou-" Jemma said, and he had the feeling that if they were in the same room together, she would have hugged him.

"Okay Jem, you're welcome. But you have to promise me not to just shut yourself up in the library, okay?" Julien said.

"What? But I'll need to go to the library, for researching." Jemma said, clearly confused.

"I know, I'm not saying to completely avoid it. I just don't want you to spend all your time in it, like you're doing now. Spend some time with Paula, explore around. Sometimes time spent away from study can really help put things in perspective." Julien said, hoping his words of wisdom were getting through to her.

"But, if I don't study, I won't get good enough grades. I have to get good grades." Jemma said.

"I know Jem... I would just feel better if I knew my daughter wasn't cooped up alone all day. If you had someone to study with, I wouldn't mind so much, but it's not healthy to spend so much time by yourself just doing one thing. You should find something fun to do, enjoy yourself." He said, frowning to himself.

"But I enjoy studying, and I'm still emailing everyone from the program, keeping in touch with them. I'm not completely alone." Jemma said.

"Okay, I get that. Just..." He paused, trying to think of what else he could say that didn't sound completely controlling or dismissive. "Say hello to your aunt for me, okay Jem? Your mother thinks she'll be able to have some time off soon, so we can visit." He silently kicked himself for avoiding the rest of the conversation. Jemma though, seemed eager to get away from it, her voice becoming light and happier.

"Sure, that will be great! And, thanks again for letting me do the second degree. You're the best, Dad." She said, her voice overly cheerful.

"Alright, alright. Goodbye, Jem." Julien said.

"Bye Dad!" There was a silent pause, before a click indicated that Jemma had hung up.

Julien put down his phone, allowing himself to sigh deeply. He should have just told her about his worries. But now he'd missed his chance.

 

* * *

 

**Fifteen**

Julien looked up at the sound of knocking on his door. It was the holidays, and Jemma had been able to come home for them, rather than them going to visit her at Aunt Paula's house. She seemed as happy as ever, but admitted she still studied alone. What was worse was that even though it was the holidays, and she was home, she was still studying. It reminded Julien of her schooldays, where she would shut herself up in her room for hours on end, becoming so distracted that she would forget to eat properly.

He stood up, walking to the door.

"Hello?" He asked, wondering if it was a neighbour.

"Is this the Simmons' residence?" An unfamiliar voice asked. Definitely not a neighbour. He opened the door, coming face to face with two people, both dressed in suits and looking remarkably professional. One, a tall man, was standing solemnly behind a shorter, dark skinned woman, who looked much more relaxed and inviting. They both flashed badges at him, so quickly he could barely enough notice what they said.

"Uh, yes." Julien said, wondering who these people were. They weren't the police, that was for sure. Maybe they were with Jemma's university?

"Good. I'm Agent Weaver, this is Agent Hawley. We're with S.H.I.E.L.D. We'd like to talk to you and your wife about your daughter." The woman said. Well, that answered a few questions, as well as raising a few dozen more.

"Why? Is something wrong?" He asked, trying to think of a possible reason S.H.I.E.L.D. of all things might be visiting. Had Jemma done something? Was she in danger?

"Oh no, nothing's wrong. We just want to talk. May we come in?" Weaver said, her voice calm. He stood there for a moment. There was no harm in talking with them, surely. At least now he knew they weren't here to arrest anybody.

"Sure." He said, stepping aside to allow them in. "Would you like some tea, or coffee?" He added. No reason to be impolite.

"Some tea would be wonderful, with one sugar please. Hawley?" Weaver said, turning to the man. He shook his head, and Weaver looked back at him.

"Don't worry about him, he's not much of a talker. Your house is beautiful by the way. May I ask where your wife and daughter are?" She asked.

"My wife is at work, currently. She won't be back until this evening. And Jemma is in her room studying." Julien said. Weaver raised an eyebrow, but didn't saying anything about Jemma studying during the holidays. Instead, she looked around the hallway, spotting the entrance to the living room.

"Well, we'd best get underway anyway. Where shall we sit?" She said. Julien led the two agents to the living room, allowing them to settle while he prepared the tea. He was feeling rather wary, but who wouldn't be if two agents showed up on one's doorstep, asking about their only child? Weaver was polite, and seemed quite relaxed, but Agent Hawley was a lot more uptight. Perhaps he was a bodyguard, Julien mused. Though the thought that Weaver might need a bodyguard just raised more questions for him.

Eventually he brought out the tea, sitting opposite to Weaver. Hawley was standing slightly off to the side, eyeing him carefully but not looking very concerned.

"Now, you said you wanted to talk about Jemma?" Julien asked, eager to get to the point of the visit as quickly as possible.

"Oh yes. Now, I'm quite certain you're already aware that your daughter is extremely intelligent. More so than many of her peers, and even some of her elders." Weaver began. Julien nodded slowly.

"Well, at S.H.I.E.L.D. we like to make a point of recruiting the best and brightest young minds in the world. Including young men and women like your daughter." She continued, looking at him pointedly while taking a tip of tea.

"You want to recruit Jemma?" Julien asked, a bit shocked. When he thought of S.H.I.E.L.D., he thought of something like a secret service, with secret agents performing secret missions. Middle aged, James-Bond types of people. His fifteen-year-old, short, beautiful daughter, who could barely keep a secret to save her life, did not fit into that picture at all. Weaver took his shock and incredulity in stride, barely looking surprised at all.

"Essentially, yes. We're always on the lookout for new talent. We've been keeping note of her progress over the years, and she's exactly the kind of person we like to have in our ranks." Weaver said.

"You've been keeping track of her?" Julien asked, a little unnerved.

"Of her achievements, to be specific. But also of her character. She's amassed quite an impressive repertoire for someone so young." Weaver said, her voice even but with a hint of admiration.

"I see. So what are you recruiting her for? To join S.H.I.E.L.D., I presume." He said.

"An opportunity to join S.H.I.E.L.D.. She would go to our Academy, a top of the line institution. All our SciTech applicants have to go through it, though usually we are approached by them. Your daughter, considering her age, is a special case. Though despite her age, she already seems quite mature." Weaver said, before taking another sip of her tea.

"So why not wait until she is a legal adult? Why approach us directly?" Julien asked. His daughter, in S.H.I.E.L.D.? The thought barely seemed to make sense. She was already going through university, and now this? Next, she'd be getting Nobel prizes and retiring by twenty seven, he thought. It seemed like Jemma was just flying through her life, getting faster and faster as the years went by. Soon, he might not be able to keep up.

"Because, to be frank, we want her talents, as soon as possible. I sincerely doubt that we will be the only ones interested in her talents once she graduates from university. She's already proven herself to be capable of incredible things, far beyond what most people her age are doing. We offer her the resources to expand her knowledge further than any other lab or organisation could. In return, she joins S.H.I.E.L.D. She'd be guaranteed a spot in one of our labs if she does well at the Academy." Weaver said. "Of course, it's all up to her. She can decline if she wishes, and we will leave your family be."

Julien was silent. It would be a brilliant opportunity, like the program had been. A chance to really make her way in the world. A guaranteed spot in a lab, state of the art equipment. Who wouldn't jump at such a chance? He had no doubt Jemma would be interested in it. But was it right for her? Was she old enough, mature enough, for this? To join S.H.I.E.L.D.? University was one thing, but S.H.I.E.L.D. was another.

"I can see you might need some time to think about it. If you like, I could talk to your daughter now, get her thoughts on this offer." Weaver said.

"I think I would like to speak to her about it myself first. Thank you, for the offer... Agent Weaver." Julien said glancingly the direction of the stairs that led to Jemma's room.

"Very well then. Here's my contact details. If you or your daughter have any questions, or want to talk, feel free to send me a message." Weaver said, standing up and handing him a card.

"Thank you for your hospitality Mr Simmons, Agent Hawley and I won't intrude any longer." Weaver said, smiling warmly at him and offering up her hand for a handshake. Julien held up his own, his mind racing.

His daughter, in S.H.I.E.L.D.? The thought barely seemed to make sense. She was already going through university, and now this? Next, she'd be getting Nobel prizes and retiring by the time she was twenty seven, he thought. It seemed like Jemma was just flying through her life, getting faster and faster as the years went by. He was so proud of her for everything she had done, and everything she would do, yet at the same time, it sometimes felt like he was being left behind.

 

* * *

 

**Sixteen**

"Okay, and you're absolutely sure you've got everything?" Jemma's mother, Jamilah asked, staring her daughter dead in the eye. They stood in front of the Internationals Departure gate. Past that point, only Jemma would be able to continue, with Julien and his wife having to wait.

"Yes mum, I'm absolutely sure. I quadrupled checked my checklist, there isn't a single thing I don't have." Jemma said, cheeks flushed.

"Okay dear, okay. But if you find out that you have forgotten something-"

"I'll tell you, I know. You don't have to worry, I can handle myself." Jemma said, holding the handle of her suitcase tighter.

"Well you've definitely made that clear over the years." Julien said, beaming proudly. He was still a little unsure about S.H.I.E.L.D., especially since going to the Academy required Jemma to fly all the way to America. But he stubbornly refused to let his few paternal worries get in the way of his daughters happiness. If Jemma wanted to do it, he had no doubt she would be able to do it.

"Okay. This is it." Jemma said, looking nervously past the gate. Suddenly, she seemed to shrink, and he could only think of his tiny nine year old daughter going on her first school camp, with kids that were at least three years older than her. At S.H.I.E.L.D., the age gap was likely to be far greater. Julien felt his heart swell.

"Hey, Jem." He said. Jemma looked at him expectantly.

"You remember what I told you? Don't spend all of your time in the library." He said.

"I know Dad. Find something else that's fun to do. I'll try, but the work at the Academy is probably going to be a lot harder than it was at Cambridge." Jemma said, trying to put on a reassuring smile.

"That's good. You enjoy yourself in America, okay? Takes lots of photos for your mother and I. Even if it's just of the kitchen counter, we want to see it." He said, smiling. Jemma's smile became more genuine.

"I will Dad, promise." She said.

"Oh, look at my little girl. I still can't believe this is happening." Jamilah said, one hand over her mouth and the other on Jemma's shoulder. Her eyes were beginning to water, and Julien knew that if she began to cry, Jemma would probably begin to cry as well. He put a hand on his wife's shoulder, even though the sentiment of her statement rang throughout his body.

"I know, Mum." Jemma said, smiling softly. Julien could feel tears beginning to form in his own eyes. Oh good lord, he could not see this ending without waterworks.

"You've just made us so proud." Jamilah continued, her voice wavering. Julien quickly took over before she could burst into tears, the words tumbling out of his mouth.

"You know that we love you, don't you Jem?" He asked, wondering where the question was coming from even as he said it. Jemma looked at him, frowning slightly and eyes confused.

"What do you mean, Dad? Of course I know you love me. You tell me practically every day." She said. Julien felt his heart break even more. To think that she was going to be on a plane to America in barely a few hours.

"You've just grown up so fast. It only feel like yesterday that you were born, and now look at you." Julien said.

"That was sixteen years ago, Dad." Jemma said, laughing. He smiled.

"I know, Jem." He said, pausing. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but here was not the time for all of it. This was Jemma's moment, heading off on a plane to America. It would be the furtherest away from him and Jamilah that she had ever been, and for the longest amount of time. Right now, he was nothing but supportive of her.

"I'm going to miss you so much. I'll call you right after I touch down in America." Jemma said, pulling up and wrapping his arms around him. She was much taller than he had thought, he suddenly realised. When had that happened?

"Of course, dear. I'm sure your father will keep the phone next to him at all times until you do." Jamilah said, laughing.

"You'll have to fight me to take it away." He said. Jemma pulled away, looking up at him. Her eyes were shining brightly, but her lips were set in a smile.

"You going to be okay, Jem?" Julien asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, of course I will be. I just-I'm going to miss you!" She said.

"I know. We're going to miss you too. More than you know. But you'll be okay. Just keep your chin up and work hard." Julien said. Jemma nodded, biting her lip now to keep tears from falling.

_"All passengers from Flight UA123 to Washington may now begin boarding at Terminal 2"_

The family looked up and fell silent at the sound of the loudspeaker.

"Oh that's your flight! You need to get going!" Jamilah said, quickly enveloping her daughter into a hug. Everything seemed to speed up, with Jemma giving both him and Jamilah a few more dozen hugs.

"Okay, okay, I need to go now." Jemma said, turning around. She took a few steps into the departures gate, before looking over her shoulder.

"You'll be okay Jem. We love you!" Julien said, smiling. Jemma offered a shaky smile back.

"Okay. I love you too! Bye!" She said, before looking back around. For a moment she stood still, and Julien could see her shoulders heave as she took in a deep breath. Then she exhales, straightened her shoulders, and began to walk. She didn't look back again until she was about to turn a corner, and disappear from view. Julien wished he could go through, and hug her again, but only ticket holders were allowed to go any further.

Instead, he contented himself with smiling encouragingly, and waving as hard as he could. Jemma waved back, and then she was gone. Off on her next adventure without them. He knew she would do wonderfully at the Academy, and at S.H.I.E.L.D.. She always did wonderfully when it came to science. His heart welled with pride for his daughter. Who knew what amazing things she would do now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy this chapter nearly killed me. And real life conspired to keep me very busy. But I think I'm finally happy with it. Now we're all caught up to when Jemma joins S.H.I.E.L.D. So you guys all know what that meaaannnsss... *chanting* Fitz Fitz Fitz Fitz Fitz


	4. Chapter 4

**Seventeen**

 

At precisely ten o clock, his phone rang. Right on time, Julien thought as he picked it up, checking the number to make sure it was who he thought it was.

"Hey Jem! How are you doing?" He asked, smiling.

"As wonderful as ever! The professors are all absolutely brilliant, I wish you could meet them. Only I'm not sure if you're allowed to meet our professors, I'll have to check the protocols." Jemma said, her voice slightly distorted through the phone.

"There certainly are a lot of those S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols. I'm amazed you're allowed to tell me anything." Julien said, chuckling to himself. The endless rules and protocols of S.H.I.E.L.D. would never fail to provide amusement. He'd quickly gotten used to the various levels of secrecy surrounding the organisation, but at times it did seem a bit ridiculous.

"Mmhmm. I'm still wrapping my head around them all, but I'll get there eventually. I want to learn them all so that I'll never make a mistake and get myself in trouble for something silly." Jemma sounded quite serious. Julien was fairly certain her biggest fear was still getting called to the principals office. Though perhaps now it had changed to getting called to Director Fury's office. 

"I'm sure they'll be able to forgive you for a few mistakes. How about your work?" He asked, trying to remember what she had been working on when she spoke to him last. She started and finished projects so quickly it was hard to keep track of them all.

"Oh, it's going about as well as could be expected. Still collecting data, but the samples are coming along nicely. If my hypothesis is correct - and it usually is - I should have it all finished by the end of the month." There was a tinge of pride in Jemma's voice, which made Julien smile.

"That's great. I'm sure you'll be right, just like usual. What about your classmates? Are they keeping up as well?" Jemma had yet to confirm that she had made any friends, though Julien was still holding out for a few. Unfortunately, the same problem that had plagued her during university was still around here. Considering it was an absolute requirement that each recruit at the Academy have at least one PhD, nearly all other cadets were older than her by quite a few years.

“They’re doing okay, I think.” Jemma said, and he had a feeling she was shrugging on the other side of the phone.

“That’s good. Have you explored the entire grounds yet?”

“Not really, I haven’t had a lot of time. They started doing work and projects really quickly, and I’ve got to keep up. I’m even supposed to be doing a group project with a few engineering students.” Jemma said, her voice with a hint of distaste. That was new. Normally she was just entirely indifferent, or cautiously optimistic at best, when it came to group projects.

“Those engineering students giving you trouble?” Julien frowned; ready to announce that he would gladly come to America in defence of his daughter.

“Only one. He’s just so irritating and full of himself.” Jemma sighed.

“Ah, well, there’s not much you can do for know-it-alls, and there’s bound to be a few of those around in a place like S.H.I.E.L.D.. Do you know much about him?”

“His names Fitz, he’s about my age, and he’s Scottish. I’m certain Professor Vaughn only placed us together because of that. Can you believe it? The one person my age and he’s completely terrible. Not to mention _Scottish_.” Jemma said. Julien, however, had been caught off guard. Same age? There was actually someone the same age as Jemma there?

“I didn’t know there was someone your age there. Do you know if he’s younger than you or not?” He asked, trying to curb the excitement growing. It had been a very long time since Jemma had been among people her own age. If she hadn’t already explicitly stated she didn’t like him, he would have pushed her to become friends with this Fitz person.

“I’m not sure. I don’t talk with him a lot, he’s completely insufferable.” Jemma huffed on the other end of the line.

“Well, he is Scottish. I suppose that’s got something to do with it.” Julien said, laughing. Jemma didn’t say anything, but he could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

“Alright, so you don’t like this Fitz character. That’s fine. I’d much rather you be friends with someone a bit older but polite, than your age and unlikable.” He said.

“Thank you. But other than that, everything is going quite well I think. The other engineering students I’ve been partnered up with are rather nice. Loud, but I don’t talk to them that much anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.” Jemma said.

“Well, as long as my little girls happy, I’m happy. So, you think S.H.I.E.L.D. is the right place for you?” He asked. There was a pause, and he waited patiently for the answer. A small part of him, a part that he pushed down very deep, quietly hoped that she would say ‘no’.

“Yeah, I do think so. This place is practically perfect, I can do anything. I’m not even a real agent yet!” Jemma’s voice was light and confident, and Julien smiled softly.

“In that case, I can’t imagine what you’ll accomplish when you are a real agent.” He said.

 

* * *

 

 

**Eighteen**

 

With Jemma now in America, Julien often found himself alone in the house. His wife, a nurse at the closest hospital, worked late hours, meaning their sleep schedules often clashes. There were usually a few hours spent together each day over breakfast or dinner, but for much of the time he was alone.

He’d already had a taste of that life when Jemma had been in university, staying with his sister-in-law. But there had always been the option of visiting her at (almost) any time. Now that she was across an entire ocean, he didn’t have that possibility anymore. Even though Jemma called nearly every night – excluding one memorable occasion when she had rung at three am, thinking it was nine pm the previous night – he still missed her.

“Julien?” His wife asked, startling him out of his thoughts. She was raising an eyebrow, halfway through her breakfast – and Julien was halfway through his dinner – already dressed for the night shift.

“Yes?” He asked.

“Is something the matter? You looked lost in thought.” Jamilah said, looking pointedly at his still half-full plate for food.

“Ah, yes, I supposed I was. I was just thinking about Jemma.” Julien admitted, sighing. His wife nodded in understanding. Even though Jemma was now in her second year of study at the Academy (and looked set to graduate early, which was no surprise to anyone who knew her), he wondered if he would ever be used to her being so far away.

“She’s doing better than I had ever hoped. I’m sure she’s told you about her latest group project with Fitz. They’re becoming quite the pair.” Jamilah said, smiling. Julien couldn’t help but return it. Fitz’s approval rating from Jemma had soared recently, with whatever first impressions that had soured her perception of him apparently forgotten. In fact, her opinion of the Scot had turned around so quickly Julien had been concerned something had happened. What that ‘something’ was was up for debate. But those worried had, so far, thankfully been proven to be unfounded.

“Oh yes. Soon she’ll be insisting we meet the boy.” He said, laughing.

“I’m just happy she has a friend. I know you were worried she’d be alone over there.” Jamilah said. Julien started a little, unaware that his worries had been so obvious. But then again, this was his wife. They had known each other for years, of course she would notice at least some of his emotions.

“Yes, well-I was. You know how in university she spent all her time in the library. At least now she’ll have someone there with her.” He said. Jamilah nodded.

“That she will. I’m so glad for her.” She said, smiling.

Julien nodded, thoughts still running in his head. The last time Jemma had really had a friend was at the program, which had probably been the happiest year of her life. At least, it was the happiest he had seen her in a long time. He was glad she had gotten that opportunity, to be among other young prodigies. Yet she had still only been there a year, then she went straight to university. Had it really been such a good thing for her? He knew she had handled it quite well, but soon she would be finished at the Academy as well. What should have been at least a decade of university and the Academy had been squashed into about six years.

“Julien? I’ve lost you again.” Jamilah said, having finished her food while he was lost in thought. Now she looked at him curious, but he just shook his head, trying to brush away the cobwebs in his mind.

“Sorry dear, I was just thinking.” He paused, thinking of the many times over the years where he had wondered whether Jemma had really been getting a proper childhood. She was growing up so quickly, but should she be? Childhood was fleeting, and he wanted his daughter to remember happiness and fun, not so much the endless hours hunched over a book in the library.

“Hmm. You certainly do a lot of that. I’ve always thought Jemma took after you more than she does me.” Jamilah said, waving a hand flippantly. Julien stared at his wife, confused by the statement.

“Really? What makes you say that?”

“You both love to think. You both get so invested in your work that you forget what time it is. You both care more for others than yourselves, and you both have a very bad habit of forgetting that your own feelings matter just as much as the next persons. But most of all, you both are very stubborn about not letting anyone know about those feelings, even when its obvious to everyone that something is wrong.” Jamilah looked at him pointedly once she was finished.

There was a momentary silence, as Julien stared back at her. He didn’t want to admit that she’d hit the nail right on the head. Then he began to laugh, recognising the truth in her words. He and his daughter could be quite alike.

“It must be hereditary.” He said, smiling.

“Ah, perhaps. I love you both all the more for it, even if it does my head in.” Jamilah said, shaking her head. “I think it’s an advantage you are both so stubborn.”

“How so?” Julien asked, intrigued.

“Because it means you can push through all of her stubbornness with your own. You always managed to find the heart of her problems, while I can barely get close.” His wife said, her voice soft.

Julien was quiet, pondering her words. It was true that he tended to be the one Jemma talked to. But he was the one more likely to be around. Jamilah’s shifts at the hospital meant she was at work more often than not, and she was usually sleeping when she was home. Jemma was far too considerate to disturb her beloved mother for anything less than a true emergency, so he was just more convenient. Perhaps it was that proximity that caused Jemma’s spirit to be so like his own.

“She takes after you in another way, you know.” Jamilah said.

“How?” Julien was amazed at his wife drawing so many connections between him and Jemma. He wondered whether she had thought about this before, whether she’d been waiting just for this very conversation.

“She’s matured far more quickly than anyone could have expected.”

“What?”

“You know how quickly she’s grown up. Her mind almost seems far too advanced for her body. You were the same. When I first met you, I always thought you were an old scholar trapped in a young mans body. Too intelligent and wise for such a young man. I had no idea history would repeat.” Jamilah smirked at him now.

“I’m not sure if I should take that at a compliment to my mind or an insult.” Julien said, laughing.

“You can take it any way you like, dear. But my point is, something about Jemma is bothering you, and I want to know what it is. She is still my daughter.” Jamilah said, her tone become matter-of-fact, placing her fork down on the side of her plate with a light cling.

“Nothings wrong with her. It’s me who is the problem.” Julien sighed. He might as well just come out with it, since he knew his wife wasn’t going to let it go. She said she wasn’t as stubborn as him and Jemma, but she certainly wasn’t a pushover.

“Rubbish. You’re about as close to a perfect father as I’ve ever seen.” Jamilah said. “Jemma wouldn’t be anywhere close to where she is now without either of us.”

“I sincerely doubt that. Someone would have noticed her genius. But that isn’t what I’m worried about. I’m just...” He paused, all words deserting his mind. Jamilah watched him carefully, waiting for him to gather himself.

“I’m worried she’s moved too fast. She’s not even an adult yet, but she’s joined one of the best government agencies in the world. She’s so mature, but should she really have to be?” He winced, surprised at how different his fears sounded now that he was saying it out loud.

“You think she’s grown up too quickly.” Jamilah said.

Julien was silent in response. That was exactly it. He’d been dancing around it, never saying it aloud. But his wife’s words were short and direct, as if it were nothing more than a momentary concern about bad weather. Finally, he nodded.

“Well that’s bullshit.” Jamilah said, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms.

“Jamilah!” Julien’s mouth dropped open. His wife had never been one for vulgar language (not when she was sober anyway) but he was even more shocked at the meaning behind it. Was she simply dismissing his worries? Had he truly been so deluded? But Jamilah wasn’t done.

“Alright Julien, you listen to me. Jemma was always going to grow up quickly. The best thing either of us could have done is to let her.” Jamilah leaned forward, staring him down and speaking solemnly. He was sorely tempted to interrupt her, but knew better.

“If we hadn’t let her skip ahead those grades, and forces her to stay with her age group, she would have been bored out of her mind. That doesn’t help her. If we hadn’t let her join the program, she wouldn’t have been able to spend time with other kids like her. That wouldn’t have helped her. If we hadn’t let her start uni earlier, or join S.H.I.E.L.D., we would have been holding her back. The curse of raising a child prodigy is that the normal way of doing things doesn’t apply. Our job as parents is to help her achieve as much as she can, while trying to make sure she stays a good person while she’s doing it.”

“Now tell me.” Jamilah’s face softened just a little. “Has Jemma ever gotten in trouble for bullying another student? Teasing someone for getting something wrong, or bragging about her intelligence?”

“No.” Julien said. Throughout all these years, they’d heard nothing but praise for their daughters behaviour. A model student. Quiet, withdrawn and introverted perhaps, but kind.

“Then I say we’ve done a bloody good job. So don’t you dare think anything different.” Jamilah leaned back again, ending her speech with a firm nod. Julien sat there in stunned silence. Then, a thought occurred to him and he began to laugh.

Jamilah looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

“What are you doing now?” She asked, folding her arms. Julien’s laugh faded into a chuckle, and he stared right in his wife’s eyes.

“I’ve just realised. Jemma and I may be stubborn as anything, but you, my dear, are wiser than the both of us put together.”

 

* * *

 

 

  **Nineteen**

 

“Oh, there she is!” Jamilah pointed somewhere Julien couldn’t see. She was quite tall, something neither Julien nor Jemma were. Usually it was a source of ribbing and teasing among the family, but right now it was an advantage.

“Where?” Julien asked, squinting to try and see through the sea of people coming out the international arrivals gate.

“There! Jemma! Over here!” Jamilah was waving, but it was still a few more seconds before Julien could see his daughter, and the young man she had brought with him.

“Mum! Dad!” Jemma was all smiles, waving back at her parents with one hand and lugging a suitcase behind her with the other. The second she crossed into the common area, she was enveloped in hugs, the first for quite a few months.

“Oh Jemma, you’ve grown! You might end up taller than Julien!” Jamilah said, letting go of her daughter and quickly comparing heights.

“Rubbish!” Julien protested, still grinning. He was overjoyed, holding onto the hug with Jemma for a few more seconds before letting go. Satisfied that he had given his daughter the due amount of attention for now, he looked towards the man with her.

“And this is Fitz?” He asked. The man – well, nearly a man – stood a bit awkwardly, a respectful distance away from the family but still quite close.

“Oh, yes! Mum, Dad, this is Leopold Fitz.” Jemma said, smiling as she introduced him. Julien quietly noted the first name basis, since she hadn’t called him anything but ‘Fitz’ in all the phone calls they’d had.

“Pleasure to meet you.” Fitz said, holding his hand out for a shake. Julien couldn’t help but smile at the awkward way he held himself, but took his hand anyway, shaking it hard.

“Wonderful to meet you as well! With all the things we’ve heard about you from Jemma, I’m amazed to took this long to finally meet you!” He said, chuckling as Jemma’s face flushed and she complained to her mother about him embarrassing her.

Fitz smiled weakly, still seeming a bit uncomfortable. Well, Julien thought to himself, they couldn’t have that.

“Let’s get out of here. To the baggage collection!”

The journey of the airport was filled with Jemma detailing everything that had happened since her last visit, even though they’d been kept mostly up to date with it from her phone calls. But this time, Fitz would occasionally interject, accusing Jemma of exaggerating before correcting her with the ‘true’ story. By the time they actually got to the car, he seemed far more relaxed and comfortable, and the pair were happily debating over which one of their classmates had accidentally broken a large bottle of iodine all over their end of term experiment for the entire trip home.

Julien listened to it all intently. He hadn’t heard Jemma converse this easily with anyone but family since she had been in the program, and it was incredible to witness. Thank goodness for Leopold Fitz, he thought to himself. And from the nervous way he had acted before, it seemed clear that Jemma was helping him as much as he was helping her. Whatever teacher had decided to partner them up for the first time was a godsent miracle.

When they arrived home, it wasn’t long before Jamilah had to leave for a shift at the hospital, promising to spend some quality time with Jemma the next day. Then, Julien was left alone with both Jemma and Leopold. Perfect.

“Well Leopold, have you been to England many times before?” Julien asked, shifting easily and naturally into interrogation mode. It was his opinion that that was instinctually ingrained in every parent, and he intended to make full use of it.

“Dad, just call him Fitz.” Jemma interjected, rolling her eyes. But Julien caught the sly glance between her and a flustered Fitz. There was a story there, but Julien sensed it wasn’t one he should simply ask about out of the blue. So he left it alone, apologising for his mistake.

“A few times, on holidays. But I haven’t been for a few years.” Fitz answered the question, still looking flustered. “And never to Sheffield.”

“Well, we’ll have to give you the grand tour! Though not today, I’m sure you’re both exhausted.” Julien said.

“We’ll take him everywhere! I’ve told him all about it.” Jemma said, a devious grin spreading on her face. “He’s said there’s no way it’ll be anywhere near as good as Scotland, which of course is absolute rubbish-“

“That’s what you like to think.” Fitz said, one corner of his lips quirking up into a smirk. Julien grinned, recognising the air of a friendly, long-running argument. Undoubtedly both of them had irritated many people with their England vs Scotland argument. Well, there would be plenty of time for Julien to defend his country later, but he wasn’t done yet.

“So Fitz, you’re an engineering student, correct?” He asked, eager to know as much about this boy as possible. He certainly didn’t seem like a self-absorbed, stuffy know-it-all that Jemma had originally made him out to be.

“Well, technically I’m already an engineer. I’ve got the degree, I’m just learning how to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. engineer.” Fitz said, nodding.

“So what do you expect will happen one you graduate?”

“It’ll depend which S.H.I.E.L.D. lab wants us.” Fitz said. Julien noticed the word ‘us’, pounding on it like a hawk.

“Do you two plan to go to the same lab?” He asked, raising one eyebrow and glancing at his daughter. “Is there something I should know about?”

Both teens turned red, and Fitz began to stammer while Jemma let out a small laugh.

“Don’t you start too! Half of the Academy thinks we’ve been secretly dating for months.” Jemma grumbled, rolling her eyes. Fitz said nothing, his cheeks still bright red. Hmm.

“But you’re not?”

“No!” Both of them said at the same time.

“I’d have told you if we were dating.” Jemma said, folding her arms and pouting.

“Alright, alright. It’s all well and good. Having a Scottish friend I can let slide but I think I’d have to disown you if you got a Scottish boyfriend.” Julien said, laughing as he made his escape into the kitchen as Jemma groaned, apologising to Fitz for her ridiculously embarrassing parents.

Later, after they’d gotten Fitz settled in and Julien had reassured him that if he and Jemma ever did begin to date, he wouldn’t actually disown her – a statement that once again resulted in a lot of stammering – Julien was making himself a cup of tea before he went to bed, when Jemma walked into the kitchen.

“Dad, can you please not insinuate that Fitz and I are dating throughout this entire trip.” Was the first thing she said.

“Jem, it is a father’s God-given right to tease their daughters-“

“You don’t believe in God.” Jemma deadpanned, but Julien kept going.

“It is human nature for a father to tease their dau-“

“Ugh, come on Dad, please?” Jemma rolled her eyes, and Julien chuckled.

“Alright dear, if it means that much to you. I won’t say a single word more about it you and Fitz dating. Instead, let’s talk about you and Fitz being friends. How did that happen?” He asked, smiling as his daughter groaned again.

“It’s a ridiculously long story. Let’s talk about something else. Like how I might graduate at the end of this year.” Jemma said, smiling slyly as Julien’s mouth dropped open. He’d expected her to graduate early, but he’d thought there’d be at least another year!

“Really? How did they decide that?” He asked. Jemma seemed quite pleased with herself now, happy with this new conversation.

“A lot of the S.H.I.E.L.D. labs have been interested in the work Fitz and I have been doing together, so some of them are talking about recruiting us early.”

“Jemma, that’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you!” Julien enveloped his daughter in a hug. It had been a bitter pill to swallow, but it seemed his daughter was destined to do everything about twice as fast as her peers. If all he could do was cheer her on from the sidelines, he was going to be the best damn cheerer in the world.

“I know. There’s nothing definite yet, we’ll probably still have to do another year.” Jemma said, shrugging.

“Don’t discredit yourself, Jem. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it. If you do, I expect to hear the story of how Fitz turned from your bitter enemy to best friend.” Julien said, smirking. There was no way he wasn’t going to hear that story eventually.

“How dare you use my academic success against me.”

Julien chuckled, hugging his daughter again.

“No matter what happens, those S.H.I.E.L.D. labs will be lucky to have you.” He said, nodding his head firmly.

“Thanks Dad.”

 

* * *

 

**Twenty**

 

Jemma ended up graduating by the end of the year, Fitz along with her. Three years earlier than usual, which Julien was pretty sure was some kind of record.

Actually, he was definitely sure. At least ten different people had mentioned that it was a record.

In any case, he couldn’t be happier or prouder of his daughter. Both he and Jamilah were invited to fly over to America for the graduation ceremony, which was a surprisingly subdued affair, though the speeches were full of in-jokes and puns that could probably only be understood by people who had at least one PhD – as in, everyone in attendance except most of the parents. Julien counted himself lucky that he understood about half of them. Both Jemma and Fitz made their own speeches that Julien recorded, shamelessly standing in the middle of the aisle to get the perfect shot.

Afterwards, they all went inside to what was normally the lobby of the Academy, where tables full of snacks and drinks had been set up for the graduates and their family. It was the first time Julien had actually been inside the Academy, and it was incredible.

“This place is absolutely marvellous Jem.” He said, admiring the architecture and pictures of successful graduates that lined the walls.

“I know.” Jemma had a permanent smile on her face, happy to show off the Academy to her parents.

“You know that we’re both so proud of you.” Jamilah said, hugging Jemma for what must have been the fiftieth time. “Our daughter, one of the youngest graduates of one of the best schools in the world!”

“Well, technically Fitz is _the_ youngest.” Jemma said. Fitz had disappeared into the crowd a while ago with his mother, showing her around the building herself.

“Speaking of Fitz,” A wry smile crossed Julien’s face, and Jemma looked at him in confusion. “I think you owe me a story of how you two became friends.”

Realisation dawned on Jemma’s face, and then she groaned.

“Seriously Dad? You remember that one conversation?”

“It was a very important conversation.” Julien said gravely.

“What’s this? Am I missing something?” Jamilah asked, one eyebrow raised.

“A certain daughter of ours promised that if she graduated by the end of this school year, she’d tell me how she became friends with a certain Leopold Fitz.” Julien said, smirking.

“Technically I didn’t promise anything.” Jemma grumbled.

“Oh, can’t you do one thing for your poor, aging father? Just one tale?” Julien dramatically rested a hand against his forehead, getting his wife to chuckle.

“You’re barely fifty Dad.” He could see Jemma beginning to smile too, though she was trying to stifle it.

“Statistically I’m more than halfway to my deathbed! It could happen any day!”

“Fine, I’ll tell you. But you’ll probably be really underwhelmed now.” Jemma folded her arms, her eyes flickering around as if to make sure Fitz wasn’t in earshot.

“Alright, so the thing is, we were paired up again for another group assignment, but this time it was just us, with no one else.” Jemma began, her voice a little quieter than it had been before.

“Oh, I remember that. You complained for about twenty minutes on the phone with us.” Julien said, smiling. “Remember that Jamilah? I put it on speakerphone.”

“I remember.” Jamilah smirked, rolling her eyes.

“Whatever. Anyway, so we had to work together, and we kept bickering the entire time, so it took forever. He kept wanting to change the experimental design, and it was just infuriating. And then when we _finally_ finalised the design, it wouldn’t work and neither of us could figure out why.” Jemma paused, before continuing.

“But one night, when were in the library, we had an epiphany at the same time. We realised that we needed to shift the arrangements on our design by a few degrees, so that some parts of it lined up. I won’t bore you with the details but it was shockingly simple once we realised it.”

“And so the joy of solving a problem brought you closer together?” Julien asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Well, yes. We got perfect marks on the assignment, and then the next assignments we had together weren’t so bad.” Jemma said, her cheeks tinged pink.

“You’re right, Jemma, that is an underwhelming story to wait half a year for.” Jamilah said.

“I think it was wonderful. I’m just glad you finally have someone else to spend those endless hours in the library with.” Julien said, throwing an arm around his daughter. “Or should I say the lab?”

“Yes, the lab. Which brings me to the next thing...” Jemma’s voice trailed off, and both mother and father were immediately alert. Julien took away his arm, standing so that he was facing his daughter.

“What is it?”

“Well, the lab that Fitz and I want to go to is in America.” Jemma said.

“Yes, we know.” Julien said, alarm bells ringing in his head. He’d been a bit disappointed Jemma wasn’t going to work a little closer to home, but he’d already made his peace with it. S.H.I.E.L.D. was mostly centred in America, so it made sense that some of the best labs were there, and he wasn’t going to stop Jemma from working for the best of the best.

“They want us to start working as quickly as possible.” Jemma continued. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to come back home until next year.”

“Next year?”

Julien was stunned. He didn’t think they’d be that eager to start work. He’d imagined she’d at least be able to get a few weeks holiday!

“I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the best offer we’ve had. I want to start doing real work as fast as I can.” Jemma said, looking sheepish.

Julien shared a meaningful look with his wife, before taking a deep breath and putting a hand on Jemma’s shoulder.

“Alright dear. You’re an adult now, and if you want to work all the way in Antarctica, we wouldn’t stop you.” He said.

“Though I would strongly advise against Antarctica.” Jamilah said, making everyone smile. “You catch cold so easily.”

“I don’t plan on going to Antarctica.” Jemma said, chuckling. “And I’ll still call you both, and try to come home as soon as possible.”

“You don’t need to worry about us. We’ll be just fine back home.” Julien said, even though his heart panged at the thought of not seeing Jemma again until next year.

Still, he’d always known this would happen eventually. His daughter was too bright a star to stay contained in Sheffield. Now she was truly going to be able to spread her wings.

“But if you’re going to stay in America, I expect three Nobel Prizes by the time I see you again. I won’t let you in the house if you don’t have them.” Jamilah said, giving Jemma a hug that Julien quickly joined in on.

“I’ll try Mum.” Jemma said, hugging them both back tight, laughter in her voice.

Julien felt his eyes begin to water, which he quickly tried to stifle. He knew Jemma was going to be just fine, she always ended up on top eventually. That didn’t take away the pain of knowing he was going to be leaving his only child behind for good this time. But Jemma was no longer just their child. She was a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist, an adult, and had already accomplished more than many achieved in their entire lifetimes.

She was going to be brilliant, and from now on, she was going to be brilliant without him. But he was okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Updating this fic??? After over a year???????? It's more likely than you think


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